Florida unemployment rate lowest since 2008

Jobless rate drops by at least 0.5% in every northeast Florida county

Florida labor officials say the state's unemployment dropped to its lowest mark in nearly four years in October, with 8.5 percent of the workforce still hunting for jobs.

Although the figure is an improvement from September's 8.7 percent unemployment in Florida, it remains 0.6 percent higher than the national average of 7.9 percent.

The jobless rate in every northeast Florida county dropped by at least 0.5 percent over the previous month, with Alachua and St. Johns counties having among the lowest rates in the state. On the other end of the scale, Flagler and Putnam counties continue to have among the highest unemployment rates in the Florida. (See county-by-county rate comparison at bottom of this article)

It is Florida's first unemployment figures since President Barack Obama was re-elected last week.

Unemployment and job creation were a major part of the debate between Obama and Republican Mitt Romney, who had promised to create 12 million new jobs if elected. Florida Gov. Rick Scott has been quick to boast of improvements in the state's unemployment numbers to the chagrin of Republicans anxious to blame Obama for high unemployment.

"In October, 12,100 more Floridians found employment in the private sector and the incomes that allow them to provide for their families, particularly with the holidays approaching," Scott said in a statement Friday morning. "There is still more work that needs to be done, but I'm confident we're on the right path."

October 2012

September 2012

October 2011

Alachua County

6.2%

6.8%

7.4%

Baker County

6.7%

7.4%

10.0%

Bradford County

6.7%

7.2%

8.5%

Clay County

7.1%

7.6%

8.9%

Columbia County

7.5%

8.0%

9.5%

Duval County

8.2%

8.7%

10.2%

Flagler County

11.3%

12.0%

13.8%

Nassau County

7.4%

7.9%

9.2%

Putnam County

10.3%

10.8%

11.8%

St. Johns County

6.4%

6.9%

8.5%

Union County

6.5%

7.0%

8.0%

Florida

8.5%

8.7%

10.2%

United States

7.9%

7.8%

8.9%

Copyright 2012 by News4Jax.com. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.